The Sancerre is GONZO. But we’re coming in hot with another French grand slam - or, GRAND CRU.

WE ARE NOT WORTHY!

Inventors have da Vinci.

Artists have Monet.

…and Burgundy lovers? They have Raphet.

Whisper the name in any Burgundy lover’s ear and you’ll trigger goosebumps.

Today, WE have Raphet, too. Not just any Raphet either, but a fresh offering from the historic CLOS VOUGEOT vineyard. Looking for a special bottle to flex on the Thanksgiving table? This is the one.

His wines are among the most sought after in the region, and North Berkeley Imports claims “Raphet inspires the most emotion when trying to describe what exactly makes these wines so captivating.”

And those words come from the 2019 AND 2020 winner of the prestigious ‘Importer of the Year’ award from Wine & Spirits, an accolade never achieved before, and just in time for their 40th-anniversary celebration, bringing many top Burgundy growers into the limelight along the way. Yet Raphet remains their top darling, and rightfully so.

AND this is GRAND CRU Raphet, from Clos Vougeot no less. With a massive 44% discount??! - somebody pinch us! It has all the full, rich, mouthcoating flavors of red raspberry and strawberry, with beautiful minerality, nicely integrated oak, and fine grained tannins. A total charmer you can drink today or in ten years.

“The thrill of Clos de Vougeot is historical.” says Jancis Robinson, continuing “Vines were first planted there in the 12th century by the austere monastic order based in nearby Citeaux, which they found too marshy for successful viticulture. The Cistercians accumulated land around their original holdings on the slope just south of the village of Vougeot so successfully that by 1336 the vineyard was essentially as it is today, Burgundy’s largest walled vineyard, or clos, with a press house and cellar attached. It was in the hands of a single owner until the late 19th century, when wine from the hallowed Romanée-Conti vineyard was also aged there as it was managed by the same member of the Ouvrard family who owned it for most of the 19th century. Almost incredibly, it had had only two other effective owners in the previous six centuries: the Cistercians until Napoleon confiscated the vineyard in 1790 and then the Ravel family of Parisian bankers. Today, by contrast, Clos de Vougeot is most famous for the number of owners with a plot inside its historic walls – more than 80, many of whom sell their grapes to merchants or other growers – and for being the headquarters of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, France’s most famous vinous brotherhood…”

Antonio Galloni’s Vinous picked Raphet for a “Burgundy Under the Radar” feature a few years ago, pointing out “an impressive portfolio that includes five Grand Crus and three Grand Crus. They have some very old vine stock to work with… I absolutely loved the two latest vintages of Clos de Vougeot, so much so that I was compelled to mention Raphet here and make a vow to visit the Domaine on my next visit to Burgundy.”

To reiterate, grab all you can, fast as you can, thank us later.

92 Points – Burghound

“From a 1.5 ha parcel of vines located in Grand Maupertuis and two other smaller parcels near the bottom of the slope. Enough wood to merit mentioning frames the earthy mix of mostly dark berry fruit and plum aromas that reflect a top note of herbal tea. There is both good volume and richness to the delicious, suave and seductive medium weight flavors that are shaped by moderately firm and somewhat rustic tannins on the serious and sneaky long finish.”